


Game Save Deleted

by orphan_account



Category: Crystal Story 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Consensual Underage Sex, Crimes & Criminals, Crystal Gems, Deviates From Canon, Dragons, F/M, Game Spoilers, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Interspecies Relationship(s), Kidnapping, M/M, Mercenaries, Multiverse, Quests, Side Quests, Underage Drinking, Underage Kissing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2018-11-20 06:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11329977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: In the robust yet unpredictably dangerous continent, a parallel to a universe loved by many, a young dragon begins his quest to stop an invasion of Dargons from destroying a world he was destined to save . . . more or less. With the help of new acquaintances met throughout this new land, he'll learn the struggles and ambitions of new friends and foes, both from the modern age and the middle-age era. However, the questions remains, will he truly have the power to defeat the Dargon King? Or will the world of Salva Cruz crumble before he knows it?





	1. The Tear in the Sky

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Reshirana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reshirana/gifts).



> A more nitty-gritty version of Crystal Story 2. Think dirty alley-ways and streets, both modern and middle-age-time criminals crawling around every corner, and demon princes who are twice as hot-  
> Lots of game spoilers, so please play through the game series itself before you read! You'll be sure to catch all the references that way!  
> 

    A young girl sat on the cool grass of a suspended land form, mindlessly looking through flyers for mercenary requests. Her leather gloves held a piece of fuel from a scavenged campsite, as she quickly skimmed over each ripped leaflet. A baker asked that an experienced assassin blackmail the blacksmith in Small Town, another sought the homicide of a wolf gang that had committed a bank heist within the last week. None of these seemed to interest her, but she did write "Accepted" in black charcoal on each paper. 

    "And no one seems to care about the giant worm that's burrowing under the city of Crystalia as I speak . . . " She sighed, and shoved the flyers into one of her pockets, crumpling them further. Despite the overall robust status of Salva Cruz, it was the independent city-states that made immigrants of the continent lock their doors at night. Lone civilizations came with their own sets of rules, and there was a low chance that they adhered to the law of the monarchy of Crystalia.  

    "You'd think my sister would make more efforts to 'restore' the rest of the land, but no . . . " A thought escaped her lips, images of her royal older sister in mind. She imaged her sister donning gold silk gowns, a sparkling gold crown, and a scepter to wave at those below her. She imagined that ever since the kidnapping, her sister, father and mother would have forgotten about her, and tended to the more empirical issues at hand. It wasn't as if anyone even bothered to search for the heir to the throne. As terrible of a thought, it was likely that no searches, no cares, nor worries had occurred. She had completely gone off the grid. 

    The silence of the field was interrupted by a low grumble. The thief looked down at her stomach and shook her head. When was the last time she had eaten? This morning? Last night? 

    "Adventuring to find food it is. Let's try . . . the pond, there's got to be something to eat in-" She pressed her dirty palm to her mouth and realized that she had been talking to herself for the past moments, something she'd only seen tavern whores and insane witches do. 

    "Heh. Look at me speaking to myself. Must be existing all alone that's causing me to go a bit mad." It wasn't entirely wrong, for the thief had been adventuring ever since escaping her captors for over a year. By herself, she'd watched the seasons come and go. The world changed around her, but she never changed herself. A very lonely period of time, it was. For being an explorer, she preferred to shy away from any people, in fear that they'd unpleasantly bring her back to the royal family.  

    Or, worse yet, they might have the intentions of kidnapping her for a second time, and selling her for ransom. One wrong move into a nasty town, and she'd be stuffed into a burlap bag and shoved into a closet. It didn't matter which of the countless black markets they'd dispose of her in. She'd be tied up, with a nice price tag around her neck. Who wouldn't want to make money off the missing younger sister of the princess of Crystalia? 

    She pushed the thoughts out of her head, treading toward the line of trees. She had to make a stable lifestyle of her own one day. And thoughts like being kidnapped twice wouldn't help in the slightest.  

    Suddenly, the strained breathing of her exhaustion was interrupted by yet another sound. But it wasn't another stomach grumble. 

  The thief looked up, and her blue eyes blew wide at the sight in the sky.  

    The green and blue of the earth was shadowed with an explosion, along with a thunder so loud it almost deafened her. It was as if a super grenade had been thrown at the birds flying overhead. The clouds had formed a circle, like they'd been shoved out of the way. She kept her eyes open, ash and bright light filling her vision. And that rock that seemed to fly out of the blast point and fall into the forest below . . .  

    A meteor? No, that couldn't be it. Meteors came from outer space, not from explosions in the sky.  

    "Well, that looks more interesting than finding food in a pond!" she said, turning around, and picking up her feet. The thief took off in the direction of the meteor, thoughts racing at what it could be. Maybe it was the first sign of the long awaited apocalypse. Or, maybe it was some moon rock that meant nothing in terms of today's astrological discoveries.  

    And then there was that tear in the sky, that closed itself as quickly as it had formed.


	2. A Hero Not From Around Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our dragon hero meets Lina for the first time. The script for all characters-exluding D, as his character remains the same-has been slightly altered along with their personas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. I have a public Trello board that I'll use to organize the development of this story. You can find it at https://trello.com/b/xadoE74b/game-save-deleted

 Unknown to anyone who had the eyes to see it, the meteor that had entered through the tear in the sky was a brave hero, who had taken great measures to get there. Exhausted from traveling from his world to this one, he closed his eyes as he felt the rush of heat on his face, the carmine scales on his cheeks flaming.  

    The hero destined to save Salva Cruz, was a dragon not much younger than the thief who took off after him only moments ago. He was ready to fight, ready to help the creatures he'd learned about so much back home called "humans," and most importantly of all, ready to get started. Collecting his agenda could wait, however, for the first task at hand was finding somewhere to land.  

    Too late.  

    "Ugh . . . that landing was rough." He said aloud, feeling his whole backside had gone sore. He managed to stand up, wincing at the pain that came with crashing in the middle of a clearing in a forest.  

    "Does not help when you have a tail either." The dragon added, waving said body part to confirm it wasn't broken. Dragon bodies were meant to take a blow, he remembered. 

    "No time to think about It. I have to get moving . . . " The oracle, he recalled. A knowledgeable deity who was said to be helpful to his quest. He would find a way out of this forest first, and then be on his way to find- 

    "Ouch, that hurt!" Looking down at his feet, he saw a green blob, slimy-looking, which seemed to sting at each contact with himself. Despite its happy smile, the dragon assumed that anything that hurt had otherwise intentions. He drew his sword, stepping back as he poked the top of the slime's head. It receded its attacks, backing up and creating distance between itself and the dragon.  

    Thinking it was going to go back to- _wherever it came from,_ the hero grunted and started walking to where he saw a clear path through the trees.  

    "Huh, it is somewhat like how it was stated in the books." Musty green grass, a smoky blue sky, and a harsh breeze in the air; It was a bit like his home world. Save for the erupting volcanos in the distance, and the smell of ash in the air was nowhere to be found. There was so much he had read about the human world in texts and anthologies, written by humans of all professions.  

    "I guess not everything is how it is said-Hey, you again?" The dragon spun around, and sure enough, saw the same green slime smiling before him, carrying a mound of earth on its head. The blob flung a portion of dirt at his chest, knocking the hero to the ground.  

    "Well, clearly, you are not human, so I have no desire to aid you . . ." He got to his feet and drew his sword, a weapon forged with cheap silver, but he assumed that metals from his world were much stronger than those of this one.  

    "Gah!" The dragon grunted as he swung at the slime, surprised as he saw the blade slid through the semi-liquid body of the blob. It seemed to take damage, however, its balance having been thrown off, and the earth on its head falling off.  

   Another swing at the slime did it, as the jelly-like mass simply split apart and dissolved into the ground. So that was what happened to enemies in this world. The dragon saw that in the slime's place were a handful of gold disks, presumably coins, along with an equal portion of what could only be described as wisps of magic. He took the coins and pocketed them, but the wisps seemed to be absorbed by his being.  

    "Energy to improve my abilities in battle, perhaps?" He questioned, observing his hands. The dragon felt a surge of new power coursing through his fingers. It was as if energy was flowing through the blade of his sword and hand.  

    Looking through the trees, he saw more slimes approaching, and some kind of,  _tree stump_ accompanying. The mob of hostiles had soon surrounded him. Readying his blade, the dragon got the first swing in at the new foes, putting more of his power into his attack. A small smile formed on his lips as he saw his sword produce a roaring flame that lasted for but a second. The heat melted the slime in front of him, as it liquified and seeped into the ground. 

    The tree stump  _thing_  seemed to take offense at seeing fire, and its arms waved in a menacing fashion, growling as green bubbles formed on the stump's branches, before the dragon was hit with poison, coughing as the green ooze depleted his health steadily.  

   He soon realized that he'd gotten ahead of himself.  

 

    A young dragon can only take so much before it tires, and the exhausted hero making his way to sit under the shade of an old oak was no exception. He slouched against the trunk of the tree, relieved that this one wouldn't uproot itself from the ground and attack him.  

       "Tell me that this is not going to be become the normal in this world. . . " He groaned, inhaling the fresh air. His magic had depleted completely, as with his strength to fight. The dragon's hands had become covered in dirt and ash from falling over so many times, although the poison that came during every battle seem to wear off when it was over.  

     "What is with this place? Why does everything want to kill me?" The dragon sighed, resting his arms behind his neck.  

    "Says the guy who looks like a monster . . . " A giggling voice said from behind him.  

    "Huh?!" He leapt to his feet, once again drawing his sword. 

    "Don't worry, I'm not here to kill you." The voice spoke again. It sounded like a girl, who also sounded to be not much older than himself.  

    "What?! Who is there?" The dragon cautiously slid his sword back into its sheath, straightening his posture.  

    From the other side of the tree, a young lady, as he presumed, showed herself. Her appearance was unlike those of illustrations he saw of humans in story books. This one had ashen blonde hair that flowed down her back, contrasting a green top that showed her stomach. His eyes were drawn to the utility belt that was looped around the brown cargo pants that she wore, the cuffs tucked into black lace-up boots. Her black cloak with its hood seemed to indicate that she was a thief of some kind. A very kind-looking, pretty thief, he thought.  

    "You know, you fight pretty good for a meteorite." She mocked, placing her hands on her hips. His thoughts of her being friendly were crushed. The dragon gritted his teeth. Were all humans this . . . uncivil?! 

    "Meteorite? I am no meteor, I am a dragon, and my name is D!" He exclaimed, stepping forward so that the two could converse more properly.  

    "Just D? Huh, that's an interesting name. . . You aren't from around here, are you?" The thief asked. Remembering the quest at hand, the dragon shook his head.  

    "That is not important. I need to find the Oracle, right away!"  

    The girl smiled. "What's an oracle?" 

    "Well, you know . . . it's like a . . . Well, it looks like a . . . " The dragon rambled, realizing he had absolutely no clue of what he was so focused on looking for. 

    "You don't know. . ." She said in the same mocking fashion. All the dragon could do was look away in embarrassment.  

    "And let me guess, Mr. Meteor; you also have no clue where you're going, either. . . "  

    ". . . No." 

    She grinned, knowing that she had found a new adventure, and it was standing right in front of her.  

    "Well Mr. Meteor, I'll tell you what. I'm heading back to town after I finish a job. You can tag along and, well, help me out a bit." She offered. "We can go around town afterwards and ask about your Oracle thingy." The dragon calmed himself, knowing that this was possibly the only help he would be getting.  

    "Sounds reasonable." He answered.  

    "Great! After all, two swords are better than one!" She chimed, it was a saying of hers that she'd come up with herself when she was adventuring all alone.  

    "I suppose. . . "  

    "Oh. . . by the way, pleasure to meet you." The thief added. To what seemed like meeting an ally to the dragon, to the thief, this was the first person she had actually associated herself with in  _over a year._   

    Abandoning the thought, she continued,

    "My name is Lina." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, yes, D x Lina is a thing.


	3. It's a Small, Small Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> D and Lina have a run in with what can only be called the Club-Cow.

 The two made their way through the greenery, though calling it green did not seem very fitting to the dragon. Lina completely disregarded their surroundings, as though this was just how it had always been. Burnt twigs and dead leaves scattered the ground, which crunched underneath their feet. Birds with ashen wings flew overhead, swooping far too low to the ground for prey. Stumps that peeled decaying bark were visible in the field. Clearly, this had once been a lush forest, full of life. Had the state of the region been caused by. . . them? No, if that was the case, he would have been too late. That couldn't be. 

    "Hey, Lina, has the world always been like . . . this?" He asked, hopping over debris, which looked to be fragments of a wooden contraption of some kind.  

    The thief turned around and shrugged, before her expression changed to understanding.  

    "Oh, right, you aren't really familiar with how things are around here, huh?" She opened one of the pouches on her belt, and took out something that looked like a short knife. The dragon wondered where it came from, seeing the gold accents and precisely sharpened tip. Snapping the pouch closed, she threw the blade into the brown canopy above, waiting a moment before a red fruit fell into her hand. The knife was on the ground shortly after, being slid back into Lina's utility belt as she took a bite of the afternoon snack. It was an apple, D recalled from reading.  

    "Well, it's not like this place has ever been, err, all that peaceful to begin with as of late." She started, munching on what seemed like her first piece of food in a while. "There's this war, going on with two super-cities, one city in the center of the continent, the other in the northeast." The dragon listened intently. War? Perhaps that is what he was here to stop.  

    "And we're on the side with the city in the center of the continent, the. . . good side, so us Small Town people have to supply the city in the center with supplies. Guns and stuff. It's. . . not always pretty." The thief grimaced when she saw a wooden blood-stained cart in the distance, but resumed her mischievous smile. "Don't think too much about it, I'm not going to get involved, so, neither should you." D took her words as a warning. Trouble with humans, those he was trying to help, was not something he needed.  

    "What’s Small Town?" He asked, turning away from the sight of the cart.  

    "As the name suggests, it's a small town, but not a weak one. We're the main stronghold of stuff, and we also have a strong trade tie with other cities. You'll like it there, it's not so chaotic as. . ." Lina trailed off, not wanting to speak more of the dangers this world had.  

    So many,  _many_ dangers. 

    "As what?"  

    "Nothing, you're going to love it there!"  She flashed a bright grin in his direction. "Follow me, the entrance is just up there-" She gasped, suddenly crouching down. Her free hand latched onto D's shoulder, getting him to crouch with her. She took the last bite of her apple, before tossing the core into the bushes behind them. 

    "What's going on?" He whispered, trying to peek above him.  

    "Big baddie, up ahead. . ." Lina pondered, looking for the most fun way to get around this. "We're going to surprise him, okay? When I say go, follow my move. Try not to make so much noise with your tail." She added with a smirk.  

    "Hey!" He glared, but kept quiet when Lina put a finger to her lips. The two waited, as D tried to observe the "big baddie" that was blocking the entrance to what D guessed was a clear path, leading to the city of Small Town. The dragon could see none but the dark shadow that spread across the grass.  

    "Okay, get ready, act casual. . . go!" The dragon couldn't tell if Lina was talking to herself, or giving him commands. D rose to his feet and followed the thief's steps, taking her instructions and keeping a straight line on his face. He didn't notice the ditch in the dirt, tripping over it and managing to get his foot stuck in the hole. D stayed calm as he tried wriggled his shoe free from the earth, not wanting to seem unable to take care of himself in front of Lina. How had she not fallen in? 

    "Ah, perfect! Ain't no bodies getting through here without the permission of Dee-Dee Incorporated!" A loud voice boomed, echoing across the meadow. D got his left foot unearthed, sighing in relief. He was about to make his way toward Lina, before not watching his step and slipping right-foot first into another pothole in the ground. Surely not all the terrain was like this? He would hate to have to suddenly sprout his wings in the face of humans, the delicate human beings.  

    "Hey, sweet boulder you've got there! What ya' plan on doing with it?" The dragon heard Lina say. Oh talons, he could practically  _hear_ the smile in her voice.  

    "Oh, hey there little girlie! I was just following through with orders, setting up this large rock so that travelers get blocked from getting into town!" The voice boomed, a thundering laugh emitted. "Then I can chop up all the little people who wanna' pass through! Pretty  _nifty,_ right?" 

     _Ni_ _fty_ _? That's a very old term for human slang, for someone to be saying in the present,_ D thought, slightly frustrated at how he managed to fall into two ditches in the ground.  

    "'Nifty' it is, alright! Oh, D, I just found my quest!" Lina called, as D kicked his foot upward, freeing it, and caught up to the two voices.  

    "Oh great, what is it now? Another slime-" 

    Catching his breath, the dragon looked up, and was terrified at the monster before him. He recognized a creature like this from a wildlife encyclopedia he had read long ago, it was similar to a number of things. Its head looked like a gray hippopotamus, only its mouth was incredibly disproportionate. Its armor, if that's what the metal plates on its rather large stomach were, seemed to be configured of more electronic than metal parts, glowing red from little strings he could see inside the workings. The helmet, most obvious of all, had a grey turret sticking out from the front. Scarily, it resembled a canon, or, something that D learned about when looking into other worlds-but not the human world-a machine gun. The "large rock" was positioned to its side, bigger than the creature itself. 

    He jumped back, accidentally meeting eyes with the monster's beady black pupils. "What  _is that?!"_  

Lina looked puzzled, confusion faltering her smile for a moment. "You're surprised? Aren't you used to things like this, being a dragon and all?"  

    D did not even have the courage to be irritated. "Yes, but that is a nine-foot-tall-cow-monster  _thing_ with a club!" Ignoring how well he was to describe the sight in front of him, the dragon drew his sword, shakily holding the handle.  

    "Hey, another little person! I ain't no cow!" The creature scoffed, turning away.  

    Lina put a hand on her hip and took out her daggers. "I'm here for my payday, and I'm looking right at it!" She dashed forward, and jumped onto the boulder that would have been too high for someone her height to climb. As her cloak flew in the wind, D noticed a gold "M" painted on the inside, along with a poorly painted image of the green slimes they had been fighting before.  

    "Woah, wait, are you with Mercenary Incorporated? Those shadow service guys? Man, you little people are  _no fun!"_ The hippopotamus monster shook its head. He pressed button on one of the mechanical sleeves bolted into its chest plates. The little turret the dragon noted was extending, as steam and smoke filled the air around the three.  

    It was as if the armor was a whole separate entity, expanding and clicking into place. Parts that looked simple enough branched into arms that looked like they could rip trees off the ground, hissing as burnt rust fell off the joints. A foul, putrid smell filled the dragon's nostrils, possibly from the armor never being cleaned. D had never seen machinery like this in his life. The eyes of the monster had filled with rage and malice.  

    "You ain't gonna' stop us! Small Town will become ours!" It shouted, stomping backwards. Robotic arms that seemed to be controlled by will rose in the air, menacingly opening and closing their pincers.  

    "Alrighty, Mister Meteor, let's finish this quick!" Lina flourished her trusty daggers, not scared  _at all_ of the extra hands their enemy had.  

    Lina was not the best daggerman, but she  _was_ aiming to be the best thief in the world. Why swordfight when you can render your enemy weaponless? There wasn't a point in exhausting yourself, she once thought. So, with fingers wrapped around her knife, she leaped off the rock and stole one of the hippopotamus's robo-arms, cutting through the delicate alloy like butter. The wires sparked and caught the grass blades surrounding it on fire, before Lina stepped them out.  

    "You ever wonder what your tough skin is made out of?" She taunted, landing on level ground. "Because I'd call it  _weak stuff._ " Kicking the piece of scrap metal aside, she bolted around the monster's bionics, twisting her body sideways as another arm tried to pinched her sides.  

    D, running around like Lina, no set plan in mind, was bouncing around like headless chicken. His heart hammered in his chest, not pounding down like a blow to his ribcage, more like a whack-a-mole game ongoing, distracting him from making any moves. Not aware at all, he was head-smacked into the earth by one of the foe's clammy arms, feeling the bruise on his nape. 

    "Mister Meteor! You need an S.O.S. or what?" He could barely hear Lina's voice over the squeaking, whistling, and rumbling grunts that came from the foe only feet away from him. He had to do  _something._  Taking the handle of his sword in both hands, the dragon bent his knees and slip below the line of sight from the cow-monster, using the force in his arms to knock it off balance.  

   "That was my leg! My leg is down!" D couldn't help but let the briefest of smiles form on his lips, letting the heat of the battle enflame the scales on his cheeks. It quickly faded, when he felt a strong but rough grip encasing him on all sides, restricting his arms and forcing him to drop his sword, falling to the ground with a clang. Some bits of spring and cogs stuck out of the bending points he was trapped in, giving him cuts across his ankles and hands. 

    "Gah! What is the meaning of this?" He screamed, squirming around in the robotic arm's grip. He couldn't see Lina anywhere, looking from side to side.  

    "You know  _exactly_ what I mean by this, little dragon." The monster growled, pointy teeth shown off. D saw his sword carried by another arm, held in a way that would only be used to  _stab a target_. "You have been the absolute worst, most inconvenient little distraction I will ever meet in my lif-" 

    Its speech halted, and the dragon saw electric currents spreading through its remaining armor like wildfire. The death-grip on the arm holding D softened, before letting go completely. He fell on his back, before scrambling out of the way just at a piece of wires and metal fell off the monster's belly.  

    "Little distraction he is, Club-Cow." A fearless voice stated, coming from the top of the boulder. D looked to the stone, and saw Lina standing there, holding a tangle of blue and red strings. They seemed to have harmful shocking properties, he thought as he saw the burns on Lina's hand.  

    "I've just ripped out the main power system of your fancy tech-gear. This won't be fixable until you manage to find a replacement." She explained with a smirk, before throwing the wires over her shoulder. 

    "Little people. . . This isn't over!" And with that, the defenseless Club-Cow-Hippopotamus ran off, making deep footprints in the dead field as he did so, eventually disappearing into the woods, with only cheap cloth and iron covering his body.  

    Not a moment of silence was observed, as Lina took a deep breath and blew the bits of metal off her dagger, not worried about the injuries on her palm. She laughed, trying to brush of any feelings of righteousness after having fought an informal battle for the first time. D was sitting on the ground, possibly very shaken. He wasn't going to get used to fighting beasties anytime soon, was he? 

    No, not a chance.  

"For a big guy, he sure does run fast." She said, brushing dirt off her arms and cloak.  

    "Is. . . it over?" D stood up, hoping there wouldn't be a round two, exhaustedly asked. Lina chuckled, swinging an arm around the dragon as she prompted him to start walking. D felt minimal uncomfortableness with this action, even letting Lina hold up his posture as they slowly walked toward the clear path.  

     "It's far from being the last fight you'll have around here." She answered with a touch of honesty. Letting that moment of silence have its place, she noticed how delicate the scales on the back of the dragon's neck were, and how the fabric of his robe seemed soft enough to snuggle in. There was no way that this lone boy could be here for any  _real_ reason, he was too common-seeming to be so.  

    "You told me that Small Town was up ahead, right? I would like to rest as soon as possible." D sighed, trudging along.  

    "Yep, keep up with me and once we enter the town, I'll take you to Mercenary Incorporated, get some rest in you." She kept her plans going in her head, take D back to town, get him patched up, and then what? Send him on his way and continue life without meaning? She couldn't do that. Frowning at how complicated her ideas had become, she let the train of thought go, slightly letting go of D's figure, then pulling her arm away and keeping it at her side. The cold air swirled around the two, leading Lina to put on her hood and wrap herself up with her cloak.  

    Noiseless travelling followed, but the entrance was not far at all. Lina saw the sign, running up the concrete steps that led into town. She saw the masses of people, shuddering, but then looked as D made his way up the stairs, looking like he was happy to see others.  

    As they walked under the brick arch, Lina turned around and smiled, raising her hands in the air, gaining suspicious looks from haughty tradesmen and passing residents.  

    "Welcome to Small Town!"  


	4. A Temperamental Disclaimer

Clearly, it has been a while since I've made any progress on this work. I must apologize, as this, at the end of the day, is a gift for another user, and to leave it as is for an extended period of time with an incomplete story is not my intention. I am in the process of revising the existing chapters while slowly working on new ones. Though I cannot provide an exact date as to when a significant update will be published, I can assure you, the reader, that this story has not been left in the dark and abandoned. Thank you graciously for your understanding.


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